(0-3)Denver Broncos at (0-3)New York Jets (-1, 41)
Breakdown: Both of these teams have been decimated by injury through the first few weeks of the season and the only bit of good luck for either team is that they are playing one another. Denver initially opened as 3-point favorites but find themselves as 1-point underdogs after announcing that 3rd string quarterback Brett Rypien would get the start. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the nephew of two-time Super Bowl-winning QB Mark Rypien (sadly for me, one of those championships wins came against my Buffalo Bills in 1992). The decision to go with Rypien may seem a bit odd, but Denver doesn’t have much to lose at 0-3 and you couldn’t ask for a better matchup to debut Boise State alum. As a bonus, running back Philip Lindsay and cornerback Davontae Harris could be back sooner than expected.
The Jets aren’t dealing with a QB crisis, but their head coach Adam Gase is on the verge of getting fired and rightfully so. So far, New York has established itself as one of, if not, the worst team in the league. Rumor has it Gase’s job will not be hanging in the balance tonight but I can’t imagine the ownership or the players are really happy right now. A number of players could be returning for them as well but they still have 5 questionable, 2 doubtful, and 1 out.
It’s always tough to predict what’s going to happen when two bad teams play one another. However, I’m more inclined to say the Broncos aren’t nearly as bad just because they are both 0-3. Denver played in a couple of close games before injuries took their toll while New York hasn’t even sniffed victory through 3 games. The Jets give up more and score fewer points-per-game than Denver, so even with the change at QB for the Broncos, I’m surprised to see the spread shift all the way in the Jets favor. Maybe the oddsmakers believe the team wants to win to save Gase’s job, but that seems like a big leap of faith at this point. I was going with Denver either way but I’m happy to do it with better odds on my side.
Pick: Broncos
Vs Spread: Broncos
The rest of the Week 4 picks are coming soon, but I kind of like getting the Thursday game done first.